Electric connecter



March 19, 1935. J. o. CADIEUX 1,994,882

ELECTRIC CONNECTER Filed April 16, 1930 INVENTOR Patented Mar. 19, 1935 I UNITED STATES PATIENT OFFICE ELECTRIC CONNECTER Joseph 0. Cadieux, Meriden, Conn., asslgnor to Connecticut Telephone & Electric Corporation, Merlden, Conn., a corporation of Delaware Application April 16, 1930,-Seria.l No. 444,730

Claims. (01. 173-269) My invention relates particularly to clips for 19 to the jaws and provided with an arcuate attaching electrical conductors to terminals such cross bar 20 offset at oneside which serves as a as spark plugs. The preferred form of device is finger piece or handle to facilitate movement of adapted particularly to connect a conductor to the latch. The side arms are provided with re- 5 a bulbous tip. cesses formed by pressing flanges 21 outwardly so 5 One object of the invention is to provide a clip as to coact with the flange 12 on the sides of the which can be conveniently applied in direction jaws when the parts are in the interlocked posiaxial to the spark plug. tion of Figs. 1 and 2. The openings through the Another object is to provide a clip of this jaws and latch leave passages for the escape of character which can be readily housed in a shield. dirt, etc. and thus prevent accumulation of non- Another object is to provide a latch for holdconducting material which might otherwise be ing a clip securely in place and preventing its caked on the inner sides of the jaws where they accidental disengagement. press against the bulbous tip of the spark plug. In its preferred form the clip comprises spring The preferred construction is especially intendjaws provided with means for anchoring a coned for use with shielded spark plugs where the ductor between the sides of the jaws. The body shield may have, for instance, a body portion 25 of the clip is formed of resilient material such as and a detachable cap 26. My invention however phosphor bronze and the jaws are provided with is not concerned with the details of this shield. recesses for receiving the spark plug tip. A latch To apply the connecter it will be seen that it is v member, also formed of resilient metal, is hinged simply necessary to press the clip toward the 20 to these jaws and provided with a finger piece at spark plug in an axial direction, the notch 17 one side. The jaws and latch are providedwith serving as the directing guide. The clip is pressed interfitting projections and recesses for holding downward by pressure on the base 10 and when the latch in its operating position. the jaws snap on to the tip 7 the latch handle Fig. 1 is a side view of a spark plug with a 0011- is pressed downwardly until the flanges 21 and 25 necter involving my invention and showing in 12 interlock. The latch thus reinforces the jaws section a shield or housing. and makes it practically impossible to detach the Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the connecter on connecter from the spark plug. The pairs of the plane of the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 and on an jaws should be sufliciently resilient to permit the enlarged scale. clip to be applied to the bulbous tip when the Fig. 3 is an end view showing the latch relatch is disengaged and the latch should have tracted. suflicient resiliency to permit it to expand lat- Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line of the erally for the purpose of engagement and displane of line 44 of Fig. 3 showing the connecter engagement of the flanges 21 and 12. The cross Without the park plug. bar 20 should be sufliciently rigid so that the latch 5 s a p p v V w O the o ter. itself can not too easily expand. The parts are The p 7 indicates the bulbous d of the park so designed as to also adapt the connecter to P 8 Wi h w i h th o c r is p c ar y terminals which are either somewhat larger intended to be used. or somewhat smaller than the standard dimen- The body of the clip has the jaws 9-9 consion.

nected by a cross piece 10. The jaws are pro- I claim:

vided with recesses 11 which may be in the form 1. A connecter comprising a clip member hav- Of perforations Surrounded by outwardly p j ing side jaws with recesses for engaging a bulbous ing fl es A 3 is fl n d v from the terminal, a flange secured to the clip member between the jaws 9. A tubular portion 14 is and a latch having side arms hinged to the jaws connected to this lug and receives the end of and having a cross bar connecting the sides of the conductor 15 which may be soldered in place the latch and constituting a finger piece.

therein. The conductor of course will be pro- 2. A connecter comprising a U-shaped clip vided with suitable insulation 16. And the conmember having side jaws with recesses for en- 50 ductor itself may be of any suitable form. gaging a terminal, a flangev formed integral with The jaws are preferably provided with introthe clip member and closing the upper outer porductory notches 17 to facilitate the application tion thereof, a wire receiving tube attached to of the jaws 9 to the tip 7. said flange and extending inwardly thereof be- The latch member has side arms 18 hinged at tween said jaws, and a latch having side arms 56 base 10 and extends across one side of the space having a wire receiving tube between the l w hinged to the jaws and having an arcuate cross bar connecting the sides of the latch and constituting a finger piece. I

3. A connecter comprising a U-shaped clip member having yielding jaws equipped with outwardly pressed recessed portions for axial engagement with a bulbous terminal of a spark plug, a flange secured to the clip member pro vided with a wire receiving tube between the jaws, a latch having side arms with outwardly pressed recessed portions for interfitting engagement with the jaw portions, and an arcuate member connecting the sides of the latch and constituting a finger piece.

4. A spark plug connecter comprising a terminal frame having spring jaws extending transversely therefrom, a conductor connected to said frame, said jaws extending laterally from said conductor and having recesses to receive the bulbous head of a spark plug, and a latch hinged to the sides of the frame and adapted to swing over the end of the frame clear of the jaws and frame and also adapted to swing over the sides of the jaws to clamp the jaws in place upon a bulbous terminal. a

5. A spark plug connecter comprising a sheet metal frame having a top, side flanges extending transversely from the top and forming jaws having recesses for receiving the bulbous tip of a spark plug, and an end plate closing part of the space between the side flanges at one end of the frame, an insulated conductor having the end of its insulation housed between the side flanges and beneath the top of the frame and its wire electrically connected to the end plate, and a latch member hinged to the side flanges and embracing the jaws adjacent the recesses.

JOSEPH O. CADIEUX. 

